My first two years of college were spent as a commuter and were a relatively good experience for me. I wasn’t completely prepared for the lifestyle of a college student, so I was able to go through a very gradual transition and warm up to my new home.
That being said, I did also gradually get tired of driving back and forth for early classes and after late nights in the communication wing. It just grew tedious to me, and as my workload and general involvement increased dramatically my second year, commuting just seemed like a giant inconvenience.
In addition to that, I had very welcoming and generous friends who were nice enough to let me stay over their room each weekend, but at the end of the day, I really felt I was imposing. My friends would have to accommodate space and lack of privacy for me every Saturday and Sunday, so while I felt welcomed it certainly wasn’t an ideal situation. Especially since my only option was to sleep on the floor.
I decided I had enough of the commuter lifestyle and finally found it financially affordable to live on campus thanks to financial aid. In February of 2017, I had officially decided I’d be living on campus my junior year.
I had already received an offer from a couple of my friends to live in the Apartments Complex with them, and I gladly accepted it. Living on campus is a great experience, but living with friends made it an even more promising experience!
When it came time for registration, I was never that, because of my status as a commuter, it would be more difficult for me to be placed with my residential friends. Luckily, I had little to no problems at all, and secured a spot in the apartment with my friends almost instantly.
The opportunity to live on campus feels like a big treat to me. Even though I had a relatively positive commuter life, I’m really excited to have an entirely new college experience.
There’s so many new, exciting opportunities, including the experience of living on my own for the first time in my life. I’m nervous, but very reassured by the fact that I’m surrounded by friends I love and a campus I’m already familiar with.
The upcoming semester has so many possibilities, and I’m excited to see how every single one of them carries out as I embark on a brand new journey.